Never Mind What Arises.

Although it doesn't matter in the slightest, maybe what arises is a bit smoother, a bit calmer, a bit evened out. The mind is at a loss, and has given up; it occupies itself with friendly conversation and Excel spreadsheets, not the meaning of life. This is the meaning of life, whatever this is, or whatever this happens to appear to be, not here, for no one, and not in time. This thing about no time is a real humdinger. What about the dinosaurs? you ask. Well, there is a story about dinosaurs, interestingly before any self-conscious beings were around, unless you're speaking to a Scientologist of course. The story is memory of things read about dinosaurs, bones of dinosaurs, paleontological data about dinosaurs. There is no time, just energy, or whatever you want to label it, so there was no time when dinosaurs existed. Not to say the creationists have the right idea either; that too, is another story, albeit a ridiculous one. You can be a scientist and get the story just as precisely correct as it can be. That is a worthy venture, but they're all worthy ventures, no matter how asinine the venture seems to be (the Scientologists, i.e.). The effort expended on debunking charlatans is as it should be, and balances out the charlatan's rantings. The outrage against anti-science by scientists and apparently sensible people balances out the delusions of creationists and their ilk. But it's all a story, a fascinating story, "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." It's very, very difficult, if not impossible, for the apparent individual to swallow this no time thingy. It's extraordinarily galling for the mind to abandon all its treasured tenets; for sensible, balanced individuals to realise that the cause that infuriates them is not exactly there, that abolishing the ignorance of others is not the answer, that it is all as it should be already. Study dinosaurs. Debunk creationists (and Scientologists - please!). Promote your worthy cause. There is no one choosing to do any of these things. The story is not the point. That is the shift of perception, of awakening, or whatever it is we want to call it on a Friday morning. Whatever arises, run with it; no one is choosing to run; it isn't what you're running with that is the point. It is the beauty of running.